Cleaning: GENERAL HOUSEHOLD

Broken Glass:To pick up small slivers of broken glass from a hard surface, use a slice of bread. Place the bread on the broken glass slivers and press down gently. The glass will stick to the piece of bread and not into your fingers. Works very well!Kristy, KS

Blinds: Fill your bathtub with hot water adding Perfex Powder Cleaner to the water. Place mini-blinds in the water and soak until the dirt rinses off easily. Rhonda Esdohr, IA

Computer:To easily clean your computer and keyboard use baby wipes.You will be amazed at how much dirt they actually pick up.Pamela McNeiece

Every Day Mess: Baby wipes are a nice easy way to clean up everyday messes. They can be used for dusting, polishing shoes, and cleaning car dashboards. They are indispensable. They also work well on babies! Sandy, PA

Dusting: If I am short on time to do, I put on a pair of white cotton gloves sprayed with furniture polish. Makes it easy to dust all those little nick knacks as well. Pam Bienias, ALorPull a sock over each hand and walk through the house dusting. This also works to dust off the TV screen where dust loves to gather. L. Yorgensen, OKorDryer sheets work great when dusting nick/knacks and around them. Also good for dusting the TV screen, stereo, and other electronics. Sue, NY and Nari Son, Connecticut

Dust Mites: Getting rid of dust mites will help improve allergies. Do this by vacuuming your mattresses and washing bed sheets once a week in hot water. Also, don't forget to wash curtains and blinds that collect dust. Kim Bratcher

Fresh House Scent:Buy an air freshener of your choice and stick it behind your vacuum bag.When you vacuum it will make your house smell good.Lisa, AZ

Are the kids bored? Give them some downy fabric softener sheets, let them put them on the bottoms of their shoes or on their hands and they can slide around the carpet. It makes your house smell good and it helps the carpet to repel spills. And the kids are actually doing a house cleaning type chore and they don't even realize it...shhhhh...what they don't know won't hurt them. Bridget Pansano, LA

Furniture: If you are out of furniture polish, you can use Armour All or Formula 2000 on your tables and counters, and also use on stainless steel for a bright shine. Melissa Watters, GAorWash with warm water and dishwashing liquid. Be sure to dry furniture very well with soft dry cloth. By using this method, dust collects slowly. Cornelia J. Carter, VAorIf you leave a drink on the coffee table and get a watermark, take mayonnaise and rub into the wood. It is like new again with a shine!! Misty Long, RI

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To remove water marks from wood furniture use toothpaste. Just rub the spot with toothpaste on a soft cloth. It doesn't take long, the spot is gone and the luster is back! Pat Kestner, VA

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To get ballpoint pen out of fabric - spray it with hairspray. Pat Wilmoth, Oklahoma

General Stains

and Cleaning:

To remove blueberry stains from clothing, mix milk and vinegar together. Make sure its a little runny. Soak over night...you will be amazed. This really works! Judy Therrian, California.

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Totally Toddler is a great stain remover.You can purchase it at

Wal-Mart in the baby department.Lisa Seeber, TNor

Lye soap works well for cleaning kitchen sinks, bathroomfixtures and clothes that need bleaching.It works really well on heavy soiled work clothes.Roxie McCarty, TXor

Use Murphy's Oil on all stains, new & old. Richelle Meyers, OHor

This the best all-purpose household cleaner I've ever tried! I found it on the back of a bottle of ammonia about 15 years ago. My friends now call it Beth's cleaning solution1 cup ammonia1/2 cup distilled vinegar1/4 cup baking sodamixed into 1 gallon warm to hot water.

I keep it in a spray bottle in my kitchen to clean and polish my solid surface stove top. It took 20+ years' worth of smoke and soot off my parents' hall walls. Beth

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For a great, economical household cleaner I use 1/3 c. ammonia and 1 small squirt of Dawn Dishwashing liquid in 1 gal. of hot water-mix well. This cleans any surface from walls to glass, no rinsing needed. The dawn cuts the smell of the ammonia and leaves your house smelling fresh andclean. Nancy Murphy, KY

Iron: To clean the bottom of your iron, sprinkle ironing board with table salt and then iron over salt with warm iron. Dianne Chapman, TN

Permanent Marker Stains: For any permanent marker stain use a pencil eraser, dry erase marker, or hairspray. This really works and it comes off in a sinch! Cody Curtis, KY

Pet Hair in Blankets (and rugs): Toss in dryer on Air setting with a large piece of netting (available at fabric store) This also works to clean stuffed animals that are dusty. Vikkie Sansing, FL

Rust Spots:Use Mr. Clean Erasers.A few wipes and they are gone!They are also good cleaning storm doors.They are amazing.Trythem and you will be looking for places to clean!Janet, IA

Rust Stains:Kiss those rust stains and mineral deposits goodbye!I use Bar KeepersFriend on porcelain sinks, stainless steel, and fiberglass materials. It’s cheap and is available at Wal-Mart.It comes in a yellow/blue can and is found by the toilet cleaners.D. Trim, LA

Sink Rust Stains:Rust rings in your sinks can be removed with a little baking soda.Just massage it into the stain and rinse.Darlene Totty, TN

Wallpaper: Wipe walls with a Swiffer mop and a wet Swiffer pad. It is really quick and so much easier than hand wiping your walls. Marsha, TN Washing Machines:To keep washing machines clean and to remove excess soap thatremains in all the holes.Once a week add 1 cup of vinegar to your wash cycle.Be sure to use the hot water option. Now your machine will be clean and fresh again.Cheryl, CAWater Marks on Wood Furniture:To remove watermarks from wood furniture.Mix approximately one half teaspoon of olive oil and ashes from a couple of cigarettes and make it into a paste.Thenrub the paste on the stained area.Then simply wipe clean.Bob Barker, OH

Windows: Coffee filters work great for cleaning glass and mirrors. Use with any window cleaner. The are cheap and go a long way. Erica Shanks, Illinois.

Warm soapy water applied with a sponge or rag and then use a squeegee to take it off. This method actually repells dirt and grime from all your windows, storm doors and patio doors. This method is fast and easy, I can do the entire house indoors and out in half the time it used to take me to do just the outside. Wiping glass with paper towels or newspaper creates static and that attracts the dust and dirt to glass so you have to clean them more often. Lori Brotherton, MO

Wipe the inside of your windows down with shaving cream. It will keep them from fogging up. Shauna Campbell, AL

Equal parts rubbing alcohol and water makes a great window cleaner at a fraction of the cost of others on the market. Linda Misson, OH